Door knob assembly



A ril 22, 1969 B. D. LEE

DOOR KNOB ASSEMBLY Sheet Filed Sept. 21, 1967 INVENTOR. BYRON 0. LEE

Sheet Filed Sept. 21, 1967 INVENTOR.

BYRON 0 LEE BY%h/;/:J

I A r I I r I Q\ Ok/ J V. wk E ==Eg== Ba 33 n: at v: NE I NQ\ N\ Guy April 22, 1969 B. D. LEE 3,439,514

DOOR KNOB AS SEMBLY Filed Sept. 21. 1967 Sheet 5 of5 Q Q Q w v N 5 a K u g o 1 r S g o i 8 N Q a w V '3 m w\ 8s a w g m) INVENTOR.

\ BYRON 0. LEE

April 22, 1969 a. 1:. LEE

DOOR KNOB ASSEMBLY Sheet Filed Sept. 21, 1967 INVENTOR.

BYRON 0 LEE BY Q April 22, 1969 B. D. LEE

noon xnos ASSEMBLY Sheet Filed Sept. 21, 1967 INVENTOR BYRON 0. LEE

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United States Patent 3,439,514 DOOR KNOB ASSEMBLY Byron D. Lee, 3675 Moorehead Ave., Boulder, Colo. 80302 Filed Sept. 21, 1967, Ser. No. 675,270 Int. Cl. Fb 55/04, 55/00; E05c 1/12 US. Cl. 70-147 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A door knob lock assembly having control elements slidably mounted for movements toward and away from each other, a latch, a cam assembly controlling the latch, the cam assembly having an elongated opening in an inner end of the latch and having a cam attached to a rod interconnecting the control elements and adapted to retract the latch as the cam is caused to enter the opening.

The lock assembly described in which when a cam-carrying rod is rotated 90 degrees, the cam cannot enter the opening, whereby said control elements cannot retract the latch by pushing or pulling the cam and its rod being rotatable from locking to latch operating position only by rotation of the inner knob or by a control of the cam and rod rotation by means of a lock in the outer knob operable by a key.

In the prior art, a patent issued to T. P. Arsneau on Dec. 5, 1916, 1,207,123, entitled, Door Lock and Latch, has certain similarities, but its latch will not be released by a rotation of its inner knob alone, but only if first another step is taken to manipulate a catch, as is a unisance. In my invention, however, the latch is released by a rotation of its inner knob alone, whereby thereafter pushing and pulling on the knob will freely operate the unlocked latch.

A further object is to provide a door knob that does not operate on the principle of locking by means of a balanced part as in Arsneau because burglars can jiggle a door sutficiently to elfect the balance of the parts, unlocking the knob assembly.

A particular objective is to eliminate many of the expensive and bulky parts in earlier patents attempting to solve these problems.

A further object is to provide a knob of more attractive appearance than is found in patents attempting to serve these purposes.

IN THE DRAWINGS FIGURE 1 is a longitudinal sectional plan through a portion of a door showing the improved door knob lock assembly with parts in position for door opening with the tubular door knob carrying shaft extended through a cylindrical opening extended transversely through the door, and with a latch in an opening extended inwardly from the edge of the door and positioned at a right angle to the opening in which the door knob shaft is positioned.

FIGURE 2 is a vertical longitudinal section through the door knob lock assembly taken on line 22 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a vertical section through a portion of a door showing a locking latch in combination with the door knob carrying shaft, taken on line 33 of FIGURE 1, and with the parts shown on an enlarged scale.

FIGURE 4 is a section similar to that shown in FIG- URE 3 showing the latch in the unlocked position.

FIGURES 515 show an exploded view of the door 3,439,514 Patented Apr. 22, 1969 knob lock assembly with the individual elements separated for the purpose of illustration.

FIGURE 5 is a longitudinal section through a door knob such as used on the inside of a door.

FIGURE 6 is a side elevational view of a cylinder threaded on the inner end and designed to project from the inside of a door.

FIGURE 7 is a longitudinal section through a sleeve for connecting the cylinders of the inside and outside knobs, and showing the position of the latch opening therein.

FIGURE 8 is a side elevational view of a cylinder threaded on the inner end, and projecting from the outside of the door for carrying the outer knob.

FIGURE 9 is a longitudinal section through a door knob such as used on the outside of a door.

FIGURE 10 is an end elevational view taken on line 10-10 of FIGURE 5, showing the inner end of the inside door knob.

FIGURE 11 is a cross section through the cylinder projecting from the inside of the door, taken on line 11-11 of FIGURE 6, showing the notches for receiving the side plate on the inside of the door.

FIGURE 12 is a cross section through the cylinder projecting from the outside of the door, taken on line 12-12 of FIGURE 8, showing a groove for receiving a rib of the outside door knob.

FIGURE 13 is an end elevational view looking toward the inner end of the outside door knob, taken on line 13-13 of FIGURE 9, showing the rib that slides in the groove shown in FIGURE 12.

FIGURE 14 is a side elevational view of a bearing threaded in the inside door knob and positioned to receive a rod extended through the assembly.

FIGURE 15 is a side elevational view of a rod extended through a door in which the assembly is mounted for holding the door knobs in operative positions on the inner and outer cylinders of the assembly.

FIGURE 16 is a side elevational view with part broken away, and shown in section, illustrating the key operating assembly, and also showing the connection of the key to the rod shown in FIGURE 15.

FIGURE 17 is an end elevational view showing the latch block with other parts omitted.

FIGURE 18 is a View showing a front elevation of the latch block.

FIGURE 19 is an end elevational view of a cylindrical flange which is held by a screw on the end of the rod and which is provided with a plurality of openings for receiving a pin of the key operating assembly, as indicated by a line 1919 of FIGURE 15.

FIGURE 20 is an end elevational view showing a washer that is attached by screws to the key cylinder, and also showing a pin positioned to coact with the openings of the cylindrical flange, as indicated by line 20-20 of FIGURE 16.

FIGURE 21 is a side elevational view showing one of the side plates positioned in a face plate of the knob assembly, and showing a slot that slides over and receives one of the cylinders.

FIGURE 22 is a side elevational view of one of the face plates of the door knob lock assembly, and showing the side plate therein in dotted lines,

While one embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the above-referred-to drawings, it is to be understood that they are merely for the purpose of illustration and that various changes in construction may be resorted to in the course of manufacture in order that the invention may be utilized to the best advantage according to circumstances which may arise, without in any manner departing from the spirit and intention of the device, which is to be limited only in accordance with the appended claims. And while there is stated the primary field of utility of the invention, it remains obvious that it may be employed in any other capacity wherein it may be found applicable.

In the accompanying drawings, and in'the following specification, the same reference characters are used to designate the same parts and elements throughout, and in which the numeral refers to the invention in its entirety, numeral 12 indicating an outer door knob carried by .a cylinder 14, numeral 16 indicating an inner door knob carried by a cylinder 18, numeral 20 indicatmg a sleeve into the ends of which the cylinders 14 and 18 are threaded, numeral 22 indicating a latch on the outer end of a latch bolt 24 and positioned in a bore 26, numeral 28 indicating a key cylinder positioned in the outer knob 12, and numeral 30 indicating a rod extended between and connecting the outer and inner knobs.

The outer knob 12 is provided with an annular recess 32 that extends from the inner end 34 to a point 36, and the central portion of the knob is provided with a bore 38 in which the key cylinder 28 is positioned. A flange 40 on the outer end of the key cylinder is positioned in an annular recess 42, and the key cylinder is provided with a key slot 44 and transversely disposed openings 46 for tumblers or pins, which is conventional. A washer 48, which is secured to the inner end of the key cylinder by screws 50 and 52, is provided with a center opening 54 having a counterbore 56 therein, and a shoulder screw 58 having a head 60 extends through the opening 54 and also through an opening 62 in a flange 64, and is threaded m an opening in the end of the rod 30. With the screw 58 threaded in the opening of the rod, which is indicated by the numeral 66, a connection is made between the rod 30 and knob 12 on the outside of the door, and with the threaded end 68 of the rod threaded in a bearing 70 which is threaded in the inner knob 16, the knob assembly is completed.

The bearing, or socket 70, is provided with a center opening 72 that receives the rod 30, and the outer end is provided with threads 74 that are threaded in the inner end of a recess 76 in the door knob. The socket 70 is provided with a threaded opening 78 for a set screw. The key cylinder 28 is provided with an opening 80 in which a pin 82 is positioned, and, as shown in FIGURE 16, the pin 82 extends through an opening 84 in the washer 48, and into one of the openings 86 of the flange 64. The combination of the lock is readily changed by shifting the pin 82 from one of the openings 86 to another.

The door knob assembly includes a latch block having a stem 102 with an opening 104, for the rod 30, extended therethrough, and having transverse arms 106 and 108 extended from both sides of the lower end thereof, and a block bar having longitudinally disposed portions 110 and 112 extended from both sides of the upper end, as shown in FIGURE 18. The threaded portion of the rod 30, which is provided with a flat side 114 extends through the opening 104 of the stem 102, and, as shown in FIGURE 1, the threaded part of the rod 30 is provided with a lock nut 116, which clamps the stem 102 against a shoulder 118 of the rod,

The latch 22 and bolt 24 are positioned in a sleeve 120 having an inner end 124, and the inner end of the bolt is provided with an eye 126 having a slot 128 extended therethrough and through which the rod 30 extends. The side surfaces of the eye 126 curve inwardly in converging relation providing shoulders 130 and 132 so that extended portions 110 and 112 of the bar coact with the shoulders for retaining the latch in an extended or locking position. The latch is urged outwardly in a locking position, as shown in FIGURE 3, by a spring 134 in the inner end of the sleeve 120.

The rod 30 is provided with a cam 136 having an arcuate surface 138, and as the knob 12 is pressed inwardly, toward the door the cam, which is integral with the rod 30, moves to the left from the position shown in FIGURE 1, with the arcuate surface of the cam riding on the edge of the eye 126, and drawing the latch 22 and bolt 24 inwardly to the position shown in FIGURE 4, wherein the latch is released. Upon release of the knob 12, the knob is snapped outwardly by a spring 140, the inner end of which is held by tangs 142 protruding inwardly from the cylinder 14. One side of the sleeve 20 is provided with an opening 144 in which the bolt 24 is slidably mounted.

The outer sides of the door knob assembly are provided with side plates 150, the outer side plate being held in position by prongs 152 that are pressed into the wood of the door, and each plate is provided with a slot 154 having an enlarged central portion 156 that fits over the cylinders 14 and 18. The side plates 150 are enclosed in face plates 158 and 160 which include inwardly inclined webs 162 and 164 that slope from outer edges of the cylinders, the inner edges of which are beveled, as shown in FIGURE 1, to overlap the peripheral edges of the side plates.

As best seen in FIGURES 12 and 13, the cylinder 14 has a protrusion 174 which is received in a notch 172 on the inner wall of the outer knob 12. This is important because at times when the assembly is without the lock 28, it must be and is impossible for a person to control the rotational position of the cam 138 by attempting to rotate the non-rotatable outer knob because only the rotatable inner knob 16 can control rotation of the rod 30, 68. It is to be understood that the threaded end of the rod 68 portion of the rod 30 is integral to or connected to the remainder of the rod 30.

Referring to FIGURE 3, it will be seen that the transverse arm 108 functions as a brake and is, therefore, also called a brake 108, the brake 108 being attached to and protruding laterally from the rod 30.

Again referring to FIGURE 3, it will be seen that the underside of the eye 126 serves as a brake-engaging means engaging the brake 108 at a time when the brake 108 has been rotated in a direction counter-clockwise, as seen in FIGURE 3, for arresting rotation of the brake or arm 108 in the said counter-clockwise direction at a time when the cam 136 is in the position shown in FIGURE 3 preparatory for fitting into the opening 128 upon a lmear movement of the rod in a direction for moving the cam 136 toward the opening 128.

OPERATION The door knob lock assembly is shown in the locked position in FIGURE 1. To unlock the door 200, the lock cylinder is first actuated by a key 202, turning in a counter-clockwise direction, through an angle of 90 degrees from the position 204 to the solid line position 206, in FIGURE 3, and with the parts in these positions, the outer knob 12 is pressed inwardly with the arcuate surface 138 of the cam 136 passing into the eye 126 and drawing the latch bolt 24 and latch 22 inwardly whereby the door is unlocked.

To lock the door from the inside, it is only necessary to rotate the inner knob 16 counter-clockwise 90 degrees. which disaligns the slot 128 of the eye 126 with the cam 136, whereby the outer knob 12 cannot be pushed in and the door is locked. At the same time, the adjacent portion of the latch block snaps into position in a notch 130, the notch 130 having a shoulder 130 facing away from the latch 22 and toward the rod 30, locking the latch in the extended or locking position, whereby a burglar cannot pry the door open.

Side plates 150 are permanently installed bypassing edges 166 of their slots 154 through notches 168 and 170 of the cylinders during factory assembly. Tlhen face plates 158 and 160 are crimped over outer edges of respective side plates 150 at a factory while the side plates and the face plates are on the cylinders 14 and 18. This forms a tamper-proof finished installation in which the face plates 162, 164 hide and protect the side plates 150 from both sight and removal, and, in turn, the side plates prevent the rotation and removal of the cylinders 14 and 18 by a burglar.

To open the unlocked door from the inside, the inner knob 16 is simply pulled without need for rotation. To open a locked door from the inside, rotation of the inner knob 90 degrees clockwise, holding knob in this position, and then pulling the inner knob out, will unlatoh the door so it can be opened.

It will be seen that the sleeve 20 and cylinders 14 and 18 together form what can be called a frame 300. In a broad sense, the control knobs 12 and 16 are outer and inner space control elements 12 and 16 disposed on the outer and inner sides of the door 200. Means is provided for mounting the control elements 12 and 16 slidably on the frame and such means is formed by the slots 32 and 32 which are disposed one in each knob 12 or 16 and further by the slidable engagement and support of the knob by the wall of its respective slot 32 or 32', such engagement being provided by the respective cylinder 14 or 18.

From the foregoing description, it is thought to be obvious that a door knob assembly constructed in accordance with my invention is particularly well adapted for use, by reason of the convenience and facility with which it may be assembled and operated, and it will also be obvious that my invention is susceptible of some changes and modification without departing from the principles and spirit thereof, and for this reason, I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise ararngement and formation of the several parts herein shown in carrying out my invention in practice, except as claimed.

1 claim:

1. In a door knob lock assembly, the combination which comprises a frame attachable to a door, outer and inner spaced control elements, means mounting said control elements slidably on said frame for movements toward and away from each other, a rod extended between and operatively connected to said control elements, a first resilient means for urging said outer control element outwardly away from said inner control element, a latch movable at a right angle to a line between said control elements, a cam assembly operatively correlated with said latch and with. said rod for drawing the outer end of the latch inwardly toward said line when said outer control element is moved toward said inner control element, and a second resilient means for urging said latch outwardly from said line whereby said latch moves outwardly from said line whenever said outer control element is disposed in a position spaced sufiiciently outward from said door whereby said latch is not urged inwardly by said cam assembly, said cam assembly comprising an elongated opening in the inner end of said latch, said opening being elongated at a right angle to said line, said cam assembly further having a earn attached to said rod and having a surface at an inclination to said rod tapering farther away from said rod at its end nearest said outer control element.

2. The combination of claim 1 in which said rod is rotatable with respect to said latch, and said opening being of a sufiiciently small transverse size that when said rod is rotated 90 degrees, it is rotated into a position such that said cam is disposed transversely to said opening as seen looking longitudinally of said rod, then the larger end of said cam will not fit into said opening whereby sliding movements of said control elements will not open the lock assembly, the larger end of said cam fitting into said opening when said rod is disposed in a rotational position for holding said cam in alignment with the elongation of said opening as seen looking longitudinally of said rod.

3. The combination of claim 1 in which said rod is rotatable with respect to said latch, and said opening being of a sufficiently small transverse size that when said rod is rotated degrees, it is rotated into a position such that said cam is disposed transversely to said opening as seen looking longitudinally of said r-od, then the larger end of said cam will not fit into said opening whereby sliding movements of said control elements will not open the lock assembly, the larger end of said cam fitting into said opening when said rod is disposed in a rotational position for holding said cam in alignment with the elongation of said opening as seen looking longitudinally of said rod, in further combination with: a pickresistant latch block assembly comprising: said latch having a shoulder, a latch block mounted on said rod in a position for engaging said latch shoulder when said rod is in a position of rotation and disengaged from said shoulder when said rod is in a ditferent position of rotation, whereby rotation of said inner knob can cause said latch block to move into said shoulder-engaging and shoulder-disengaging positions.

4. The combination of claim 1 in. which said rod is rotatable with respect to said latch, and said opening being of a sufficiently small transverse size that when said rod is rotated 90 degrees, it is rotated into a position such that said cam is disposed transversely to said opening as seen looking longitudinally of said rod, then the larger end of said cam will not fit into said opening whereby sliding movements of said control elements will not open the lock assembly, the larger end of said cam fitting into said opening when said rod is disposed in a rotational position for holding said cam in alignment with the elongation of said opening as seen looking longitudinally of said rod, in further combination with a rod-rotation braking assembly comprising: a brake attached to and protruding laterally from said rod, brake engaging means engaging said brake as said brake is rotated in one direction and arresting rotation of said arm in said direction at a time when said cam is in a position for fitting into said opening upon a suitable linear movement of said rod, to facilitate alignment of said cam in said fitting position.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,207,123 12/1916 Arsneau 70147 1,854,917 4/1932 WOernle 70451 2,366,934 1/1945 Schlage 70-147 2,709,911 6/1955 Russell 70-147 2,960,858 11/1960 Webster 70-150 3,121,319 2/1964 Webster 292 X 3,385,622 5/1968 Winger 292-170 FOREIGN PATENTS 791,769 3/1954 Great Britain.

RICHARD E. MOORE, Primary Examiner. E. I. MCCARTHY, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 70-150; 292-170 

